Control of acceleration and braking of vehicles driven by internal combustion engines



1933- A. c. E. NEVILLE 1,921,693

CONTROL OF ACCELERATION AND BRAKING OF VEHICLES DRIVEN BY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l //w/-/ TOR. ACE Nev/1.1.5.

Pm WW Aug. 8, 1933- A. c. E. NEVILLE 2 CONTROL OF ACCELERATION AND BRAKING OF VEHICLES DRIVEN BY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H iiiii/5 5 Patented Aug. 8, 19 33 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE].

CONTROL OF ACCELERATION AND BRAK- ING OF VEHICLES DRIVEN BY INTERNAL I COMBUSTION ENGINES Arthur Charles EdwardNeville, Isfield. England Application January 6, 1932; Serial No. 585,135, and in Great Britain January 6, 1931 4 Claims. (01. 192-1) This invention relates to pedal 01" lever op-- erated devices for controlling brakes and accelerators of motor road vehicles. The object of my invention is to provide a construction in which the brake and accelerator can be operated from a common member. A further object of my invention is to provide ameans whereby the brakes areapplied automatically when the pedal or lever is released so that the -brake will remain applied during such time as f the vehicle is not under the control of 'a driver.

According to my present invention a combined brake and accelerator control comprises a loaded member operating between a pair of abutments one of which is connected to the accelerator and the otherto the brakes, the

said member being loaded as to apply pressure to the abutment appropriate to the brakes for the purpose of applying the brakes, a'man- 2 -ually controlled lever or pedal being provided 9-of abutments-and adapted to be selectively engaged with the abutments for moving one away from the other, one of the slidable members carrying, an abutment being connected to an accelerator and the other being connected to 3 'th brakes or means for operating the brakes,

the said plunger or pressure applying member being connected to spring loaded toggle links adapted to pass through a dead centre position constituting a neutral 'position when moving from one abutment to the other, supplementary,

spring means being provided adapt-ed to urge the plunger or pressure applying member with a predominance of pressure against the abutw ment appropriate to the brakes.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into efiect I have appended hereto two sheets of drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof and wherein, a

Fig. 1 is. a side elevation view showing the device in the neutral position. V r

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation View showing the device operating the accelerator.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation showin the device operating the brakes.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation view of Fig. lf'with the foot pedal omitted i I Referring to the drawings, the device illustrated is operated from a foot pedal 1 pivoted. at 2 in a bracket 3 and connected by: a link/i to a stirrup shaped member 5 'tl1e.'free ends 1*.

of the side limbs of which are connected to a plunger or pressure applying member 6, "ac-' commodated in a tubular housing "(.fA'; pin 8; slidable in a pair of diametrically opposite slots 9a in the-housing 7 constitutes the pivotal'co'ny nection between the stirrup. shaped-.niember 5;

piston like action is provided 1 and plunger 6.

between the pedal The housing 7 is closed at its ends bycap sji) through which slide ap'air of rods 10 and" 1 1,

connected respectively to the accelerator and the brakes. The rod 11 is formed with a head 12slidable in the housing 7 Jand having' interposed. betweenit and the appropriate cap ;9 a

and the plunger 6so that aconnecting rod'andj coiled compression spring 13 which urges. the;

rod 11 tofthe position which willv maintain the brakesoff, a'suitable abutment for instance a.

nut 14 on the rod 11 .limitingthe inward movement of such rod.

The accelerator rodlO compression spring 17 which urges the rod 10 inwards to an extent limited by a suitable abut ment on "such rod,.for example a nut '18, By,

of sliding action on the rods 10 and. 11 can be regulated. V

is formed with a head 15 between which and a sleeve like-guide 16 on the appropriate head 9 is interposed a coiled 55 employing adjustable nuts14 andf18the amount When the plunger 6 is mid-way between-the.

heads 12 and 15 the springs 13 and 1 7 maintain such" heads slightly spaced. each side of the plunger 6 so that if the plunger 6 is moved in one direction the accelerator is operated and in the other direction the brakes are operated The operation of the brakes preferably entails'l a greater efiort. or load than the operationof the, accelerator and for this purpose a coiled compression spring 19 is interposed between the plunger 6 and the cap 9 appropriate tothe ac celerator rod 10, this coiled compression spring being effective until the spring 13 of the brake rod 11 is fully compressed as shown in Fig. 3. To provide an easy operation of the accelerator rod '10 the plunger 6 is connected to a toggle linkdevice having a break arm "spring action. Two pairs of toggle links 20 are pro: vided for this purpose, a pair on opposite 'sides.

are pivoted to the pin 8 to which the stirrup shaped member is connected and the outer ends of these links are bridged by a pair of pivot pins 21 slidable in slots 22 formed in two 5 pairs of lateral guides 23' which may be in the form of lugs integral with thehousing '7. The ends of the pins 21 have connected across them a pair of tension springs 24 from which it will be apparent these springs assist in maintaining the plunger 6 in the neutral position. When the pedal 1 is pressed by the footto operate the accelerator the links 20 will move fromthe dead centre position'shown in Fig. 1 and their springs 24 will considerably reduce the efiort required on the part of the operator to overcome the influence of the compression spring 19. In practice it is preferable to have the combined effort of the springs 24 only slightly less than the eifort of the spring 19. This will result in a heavy load being applied to the brake rod 11 if the pedal 1 is released, but too sudden a load can be avoided by the pressure of the foot against the pedal 1.

Normally only a slight pressure of thefoot 25 against the pedal 1 is required to hold the plunger 6 in the neutral position because the dead centre influence of the springs 24 will tend to resist the action of the spring 19. Y In'order to give an indication of the position of the pedal 1 a spring loaded ball detent device canbeprovided on the arm of the pedal 1, the three positions in this device being indicated at the points 25 in Fig. 1, it being understood that the upper end of the bracket 3 is provided with appropriate recesses to receive the spring loaded ball at these points.

'It will sometimes be necessary to lock the plunger Bin the neutral position, for example when the vehicle is parked or is in a garage.

40 This locking of the plunger 6 in the neutral sionspring 29 normally maintains the lever 26 in the-side'positionn A It will be understood that the brake operating member can be employed for operating,

' pneumatic, vacuum, hydraulic or electrically actuated brakes instead of being employed to apply brakes mechanically. i c I 'What I claim is:' 1. A combined brake and accelerator control formotor road vehicles comprising a pair of slidable members formed withabutments at ends separated from but opposed to each other,

a pressure applying member being guided between said pair of abutments and adapted to be selectively engaged with the abutments for moving one away from the other, one of the slidable members carrying an abutment being 7 1 connected to accelerator and the other being connected to brake operating means, spring loaded toggle links to which the said pressure applying member is connected, said links being adapted to pass through a dead centre position constituting a neutral position when moving 0 from one abutment to the other, supplementary spring means bein providcd adapted to urge pressure applying member with a predominance of pressure against the abutment appropriate to the brakes. v

pass through a deadcentre' position constituting a neutral position when moving from one abutment to the other, supplementary spring means being provided adapted to urge the pressure applying member with a predominance of pressure against the abutment appropriate to the brakes, a foot pedal operatively connected to said pressure applyim member and meanswith said foot pedal for maintaining it locked in a neutral position when not being operated, for the purpose set forth. I

3. A combined brake and accelerator control comprising two substantially coaxial slidable independently operated abutments one of which is adapted to be connected to the accelerator for operating it and the other to the brakes for operating them, springs urging the said two. abutments towards each other, one of said springs moving the brake abutment to the off position and the other moving the accelerator abutment to the non-accelerating position, a manually controlled pressure applying member interposed between said two abutments and adapted to be selectively pressed against either of said two abutments, the pressure against the accelerator abutment being effected manually, a brake actuating'spring for urging said pressure applying member against the said brakeabutment so as to overcome the influence of the spring urging the brakeabutment to the ofi position, and a lever connected tosaid pressure applying member for moving it away from thebrake abutment.

4. A combined brake and accelerator control comprising a housing, two substantially coaxial independently operated abutments slidable in said housing, guides on the ends of the housing through which slide rods carrying said abutments, one of said rods connecting one of said abutments to the accelerator for operating it and the other to the brakes for operating them, springs in said housing urging the said two abutments towards each other, one of said springs moving the brake abutment to the off position and the other moving the accelerator abutment to the non-accelerating position, a manually controlled pressure applying member interposed between said two abutments and adapted to be selectively pressed against either of said two abutments, the pressure against the accelerator abutment being effected manually, a brake actuating spring for urging said pressure applying member against the said brake abutment so as to overcome the influence of the spring urging the brake abutment to the off position and a lever connected to said pressure applying ,3

member for moving 'it away from the brake abutment.

ARTHUR CHARLES EDWARD NEVILLE. 

